Palis (Padaluma Inkjet-Solutions GmbH), a digital-print specialist based in Markt Erlbach, and the decor paper printer Schattdecor of Thansau have formed an exclusive development partnership.

The declared goal of the two companies for the next two years is to take a new type of high-performance single-pass digital printer with a 225 cm print width into operation, initially at Schattdecor exclusively. Printing from roll to roll at, the unit will have a working speed of 75 - 150 m/min and be capable of efficient and economic short run work. Printing is to be performed on decor base paper with pigments identical to those used in rotogravure printing.

Palis has already proved with its Palis 750 unit that single-pass inkjet printers are suitable for industrial scale use in the decor industry. With a focus on the decor industry, the digital-print specialist now intends to expand the product series by developing the Palis 2250.

Development of the new digital printer marks continuation of Schattdecor's digital development strategy while providing a hint of the next milestone on the decor market leader's road map.

Schattdecor presented its first prototype digital print decors at the 2009 Interzum, followed by the official launch and sales start of the Digital Visions by Schattdecor collection at the 2011 Euroshop. In 2012 it succeeded in adopting rotogravure inks and base paper into its digital printing work, and by the middle of the year was thus able to provide each of its worldwide plants a digital press for producing 160 cm-wide colour-accurate proofs with rotogravure printing inks and paper stock for their colour matching work.

Late last year Schattdecor made a further step forward in industrial scale production of high-quality digital-print decors by taking a 2 m-wide multi-pass digital printer into operation, and has been successfully fulfilling customer demand with this unit since, particularly in the flooring area.

The exclusive development partnership now formed by Schattdecor and Palis pools the companies' respective longstanding experience in the fields of digital and rotogravure decor printing.

In undertaking this collaboration, Schattdecor is again underscoring its willingness and determination to drive the development of digital decor printing with its own resources and to step up the pace of progress in inkjet technology.

Source: Schattdecor AG